50 CORAL AND ATOLLS 



contract. Upon the day of tlie wedding tlie best friend of 

 the bridegroom gathers all his male friends together and goes 

 to the bridegroom's house, and after decking him out in finery 

 and painting his face a hideous yellow, leads him out to make 

 an attack upon the bride's house. 



The bridegroom is truly a pitiful sight, for he is crowned with 

 quaint headgear and adorned with flowers, his face is ghastly 

 yellow with kunyet (turmeric), and is painted with double 

 eyebrows and a false moustache. But he is the centre of 

 attraction, and he walks proudly out, sheltered beneath an 

 umbrella carried by his best man. 



There is much firing of guns and shouting, and a warlike 

 spirit prevails among the young companions of the bridegroom. 

 Some go ahead and practise mimic sword-play, and all are 

 gaily dressed and in high spirits, eager to take their places in 

 the procession as it threads its way towards the bride's house. 

 When the house is reached, the best of the fun begins, and 

 the gun-fire becomes brisker and the noise louder, until at 

 length the bridegroom mounts the house steps to claim his 

 bride. But this is not made easy for him ; his future mother- 

 in-law rushes out to repulse his entry, and offers a brief but 

 stubborn resistance to him and his young men ; — for it is her 

 part to defend her daughter. 



When she fancies that she has resisted long enough, she 

 gracefully yields, and then she welcomes her son-in-law, and 

 leads him to the bride. The bride awaits him in the house, 

 and, in token of her submission to her future lord, takes water 

 in which rose petals and sweet-scented flowers are steeped, 

 and, with due humility, washes his feet. The rejoicing now 

 reaches its climax, and all who can gain entry into the house 

 crowd in and join in singing and feasting and general merry- 

 making of a very orderly and dignified character. During the 

 singing, the bride and bridegroom sit on the floor with a 

 pillow placed between them, and they eat, with great solemnity, 

 from a dish containing rujah, a very pleasant mixture made 

 of unripe fruit of various kinds compounded with sugar, salt, 

 vinegar, and chillies, the presence of v/hich at the wedding cere- 



